HiddenTalents?
by RavenFlock
Summary: A tad cliche, but that's generally most of the fun. Draco, Hermione, the blunders of a house elf, and potions gone wrong.
1. Default Chapter

Before attempting to write a very detailed fiction, which includes a large character range, hurdles of attempts at a full out war in the wizarding realm, and the ever pleasant/unpleasant mix of raw teenage emotions versus true rational thought, I felt a bit of a warm up was due. Can't guarantee a frequent update time but the story itself should be rather short. This isn't what you came here to read though so I'll just stop.  
  
Chapter 1  
Seventh Year Potions  
  
Hermione Granger shuffled the books in her arms as she climbed out of the entrance to her room. Being head girl had its perks and luckily a private study area was one of them. The painting of Godoric Gryffindor slammed shut and he bellowed out a hearty "Goodbye" as Hermione rushed on to Potions. Despite the fact that Voldemort had been defeated earlier that year, despite the fact that there was only a month of school left for her classmates, despite the fact that he had been redeemed by society, Severus Snape was as biting, sarcastic and damn near impossible as ever regarding his potions class. Hermione had no inkling to give him reason for docking house points by being late. He still favored that git Malfoy enough in her opinion, and he was of course, still as annoying and stuck up as before. During the war Malfoy betrayed his family and Voldemort to join the cause of the Order. This had been purely logical in Hermione's opinion, he didn't care about Muggle borns or Harry, Malfoy could tell which side was going to win and he wanted in on it. She didn't know what infuriated her more, evil Malfoy who degraded her for her muggle born status, or the new one, who was as much of a bastard as before but had managed to wriggle his way into the trust of everyone around him after saving Harry's life during the final battle. Thoughts of Malfoy were further compounded into Hermione's head as she rounded the corner and saw the portrait of Salazar Slytherin, the opposing entrance to the Head Boy's quarters. Luckily that was all she ever saw of him after creating a schedule for use of their common room. Unluckily, he had chosen to exit his portrait at that exact time and the sudden movement of the painting threw Hermione off her balance.  
Tripping over her own feet, she went flying face first onto the floor, (a rather uncomfortable landing for certain developments she had made it her goal to keep minimized under cloaks three times too large for herself) books sprawling everywhere. She fell, quite humorously to one of the party at least, right in front of Draco's feet. Lifting her head, Hermione saw his face tilt to the side, loose strands of blond hair still wet from a shower. Draco raised an eyebrow and frowned in distaste.  
"Honestly Granger, how am I supposed to get to class with you throwing yourself at my feet every time I run into you? I know I'm attractive but please, get a hold of yourself." He smirked a little and walked away as Hermione groaned in frustration and gather up her books. He walked down the hall a little ways chuckling to himself before turning around to make sure that she wasn't about to hex him. But she was still gathering her things and fixing her cloak. Draco laughed at himself again. After all, it was a Slytherin trait to hit someone in the back, not a Gryffindor's. "You know Granger, it might help you keep your balance if you weren't wearing robs so huge that an elephant could fit in them. Or," he paused for a moment, "Maybe if you didn't have such a big head you wouldn't be so top heavy. Honestly can you do nothing with your hair?" Hermione whirled around; she had had enough of Malfoy's banter.  
"I'd watch who you say has the big head Malfoy! As for my hair, don't you think those comments are a little old. In case you hadn't noticed it's a great deal less annoying than it had been our first year. I dare say this act is certainly getting old. Reusing material that may have been effective when we were 11 is certainly no way to act at 17." With that Hermione accioed the rest of her books to her arms and took off down the hallway past a fuming Malfoy. Despite her speed she was still late to Potions and a very perturbed Snape sat at his desk, smirking characteristically.  
"Well Miss. Granger, I don't see how you might be able to explain this tardiness. I should expect our Head Girl to only exhibit traits fitting that position. I think, ah yes, 30 points from Gryffindor should suffice." Draco came into the room during Snape's silky, yet bastardly, treatment of Hermione. However today it seemed, he was in no mood from misbehavior from any of his students, not matter their last name. "The same goes to you Mr. Malfoy and seeing as both of you found it fitting to stroll into my dungeon late into the class, you shall be left to partner for this assignment." Both students looked at each other and then Snape in abject horror, who chose to ignore their gazes and address the rest of the class.  
"As I was saying, this assignment will be a potion I expect you to develop outside of class. You and your partner can schedule time to use one of the dungeons down here or meet in your common rooms. The potion in question is a hidden talent potion." He turned to face Neville, "Though in your case Mr. Longbottom, I won't deduct points from your grade if no results show. I doubt that there is any room in that thick skull of yours for a skill that you don't use."  
Hermione, still fuming looked up at the board and inwardly sighed. This potion was very detailed. She whipped over to the desk where Malfoy was sitting and began to read through their potions book on instructions. Draco seemed to understand what she was doing exactly. The less contact the two had to undergo the better. He walked over to the area of the room where most of the rudimentary ingredients could be found and started to gather them up. After the students had a chance to look over the assignment and retrieve the need base parts Snape cleared his throat and spoke up.  
"Now that you have the beginnings of the potion, you will be expected to retrieve the rest of the ingredients on your own. Place the potion in the jars located at your table. The rest of the period will be a practical examination on last week's assignment." Hermione glanced over at Harry and Ron who had barely said a word to her all period, exhausted from the previous night's Quidditch match. Just looking at their faces she knew that they hadn't studied for this at all. The two of them together would hopefully be able to put together a decent grade. Meanwhile Hermione was pleasantly surprised by Malfoy's ability to put away the bullshit in class and begin to gather the necessary tools. She found herself unable to stop looking at his hands as he poured vials. That was until his voice snapped her out of the reverie.  
"Well Granger, are you going to hand me those clippings of Mandrake root or do you intend to fail this test?" Hermione bit down on her tongue as she handed him the clippings, forgetting that only a moment ago she had been impressed by Draco Malfoy. 


	2. Short Pause in the Hallway

Chapter 2  
Bickering In the Common Room  
  
The exam continued on smoothly enough, though Neville managed to confuse toad and frog stool producing a rather noxious gas that knocked out those in the tables to the immediate left and right of him. Following Potions the trio continued on their way to DADA, trailed by Malfoy. He had to admit that that despite his immense dislike of the three, it was nice to be under the guise of friendship. It alleviated the pressures of having to show up the Boy Who Lived and his ever disgusting, faithful mudblood. 'No' he corrected himself, 'Muggle born. Gotta get that word out of my vocabulary.' While trailing the three laughing friends Draco couldn't help but think back on the comment that Granger had made earlier that day about her hair. He had noticed the changes in it, though he hadn't said a word. While it was definitely bushy still, and clearly unable to be tamed with a brush that existed on the planet, it was a bit more defined. Almost sexy, if you went for that wild, unrestrained impish thing and-whoa! Draco caught himself, 'Did I just use the word sexy, imp and Granger all together in a sentence? A positive sentence?' He shook his head. This was most surely panning out to be a rather odd year.  
Goyle, just exiting the slytherin common room, spotted Draco as he was ascending one of the staircases. Crabbe had managed to be thick enough not to switch sides at the opportune moment, as many of the other slytherins had. The house was much thinner in occupants following the final battle than the rest. "Oi, Malfoy!" Draco grimaced as he stopped walking, his presence now noted by the trio who had turned when they heard his name, and then walked quickly on. Goyle ran to catch up to Draco, huffing and puffing despite the fact that he only had to jog a couple of yards. "Pansy needed me to pass along a message to you." Goyle proceeded to whisper a few vulgar phrases into Draco's face which turned progressively sour at every word.  
"You can tell Pansy to entertain herself this evening. As she has for the last five months worth of nights. She was trash, a one time event and I'm sick of her hanging all over me." Draco sighed. "And Goyle, I really can't risk my reputation by associating with you or her in public. If you've forgotten I'm part of Potter's inner circle now. I have to maintain that image." Goyle cocked his head to the side, eyebrows connecting in confusion.  
"They sure don't act like you are." Goyle shrugged and turned to return to the Slytherin dormitories while Draco was left both confused that Goyle had made an astute observation and what's more, angry because he was right. Well he'd be damned if he lost his privileged place in Pothead's confidence. Being a good guy had a few more perks than his former nemesis position had provided. Draco scowled while moving a hand through his platinum blond hair and ran off to DADA. After class he'd have a word with Granger regarding their project and hopefully get Harry to finish that conversation they had been having about the mu...ggle born the night before. 


End file.
